The Chaser

08/26/11

Millennium Park’s New Lounge: Kid-free and People-free; Plus, Five Outdoor Bars to Visit Before Summer Wraps

As with the produce department at the Jewel nearest my house and the gym around the corner where the old treadmills inexplicably change speeds on their own, I find myself at The Plaza at Park Grill—you know, the outdoor bar in the same Millennium Park spot where ice skaters will twirl in a few short months—several times each summer, just because it’s there...

Posted at 11:37 AM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

08/18/11

Bravo Zulu Lounge at the Air and Water Show: A New Pay-to-Play Beer Garden Offers Primo Views

When I first saw an announcement heralding the debut of the Bravo Zulu Lounge at this year’s Chicago Air and Water Show—officially my favorite weekend of summer; is anyone else already shivering over these practice flybys?—I didn’t get it...

Posted at 12:58 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

08/11/11

Me and You and Everyone We Know: South Loop’s The Scout Is Crowded Already

If you ever dined at Jerry Kleiner’s South Loop restaurant Opera, the building’s new occupant, The Scout Waterhouse + Kitchen, is bound to give you a serious jolt of culture shock. The interior of The Scout, which is in soft-opening mode now in advance of its grand opening on August 19, is done in a style I’d call post-Kleiner: nary an inch of velvet, an ounce of wrought iron, or a dash of primary color anywhere in sight...

Posted at 02:16 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (2)

08/04/11

Parking It at The Garage, the Far Northwest Side’s Undiscovered New Biker (Kinda) Bar

Much to my mother’s chagrin, I am a sometime passenger on the back of The Creative Director’s motorcycle, so I was heartened last night to find a row of hogs parked outside my destination: The Garage, a brand new bar in the Gladstone/Jefferson Park area, just a few blocks south of Superdawg. “These are my people,” I thought, having barely recovered from a numb posterior brought on by last weekend’s cruise to summer camp in Elkhorn, Wisconsin...

Posted at 03:33 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (1)

07/28/11

Sneak Peek: Paddy O’Fegan’s, Coming Soonish to the West Loop; Plus, The Abbey Pub on TV

As of two weeks ago, Patrick Fegan was predicting an August 1 opening for his in-the-works West Loop pub, Paddy O’Fegan’s (not actually named after himself; read the legend here). But when I stopped by yesterday afternoon to check in on the bar’s progress, the general manager Cathy McDonagh delivered an all-too-familiar update...

Posted at 03:07 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

07/21/11

Be Your Own Brewmaster: Brew Camp Opens Today in North Center

Attention, beer geeks: You now have yet another reason to head north. Just a few blocks from Half Acre Beer Co. and not so far from Metropolitan Brewing, the friends and business partners Jared Saunders and Whit Nelson are opening Brew Camp, their temple to homebrewing tucked into a cozy North Center storefront, today...

Posted at 04:08 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

07/20/11

Tasty Freeze: Beat the Heat with Icy Drinks

My friend Joan, recently back from a vacation in Cuba, messaged me on Facebook last week: “Amalie—serious work-related question. Where can I find a good frozen daiquiri in Chicago? We had so many good ones on our trip, but it seems every place here tells me they don’t have a blender!” The first thing that came to mind...

Posted at 01:28 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

07/15/11

Pitchfork Deals, Specials, and Afterparties: Music Isn’t the Only Thing That Wristband Gets You. Shots, Anyone?

I swear I saw rock stars at Cirque du Soleil last night. There they were, slouching around under the big top in their faded black skinny jeans, cool bed-head haircuts, and rumpled vests over V-neck tees. As we sipped $8.50 Bud Lights during intermission, I jabbed The Creative Director in the shoulder and pointed: “Look! I bet they’re here for Pitchfork...

Posted at 12:21 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

07/14/11

Low-Cal Cocktails and Big Ideas at Hoyt’s, in Hotel 71—the Real Star of ‘Transformers’

Cutting calories and carbs has been my mission in June and July, but that’s no easy feat when you write about bars for a living—and also when every summer weekend devolves into a giddy, three-day festival of beer and encased meats...

Posted at 10:49 AM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

07/08/11

New, Fresher, Later: Telegraph Opens Tonight, The Empty Bottle Spiffs Up, and Rooftops Get an Extra Hour

Need a little direction this non-holiday weekend? Go west, my friends. Telegraph, the Logan Square wine bar from the team behind The Bluebird and Webster’s Wine Bar, opens to the public at 5 p.m. today...

Posted at 12:01 PM in The Chaser | Permalink | Comments (0)

	08/26/11 Millennium Park’s New Lounge: Kid-free and People-free; Plus, Five Outdoor Bars to Visit Before Summer Wraps As with the produce department at the Jewel nearest my house and the gym around the corner where the old treadmills inexplicably change speeds on their own, I find myself at The Plaza at Park Grill—you know, the outdoor bar in the same Millennium Park spot where ice skaters will twirl in a few short months—several times each summer, just because it’s there... Posted at 11:37 AM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (0)
	08/18/11 Bravo Zulu Lounge at the Air and Water Show: A New Pay-to-Play Beer Garden Offers Primo Views When I first saw an announcement heralding the debut of the Bravo Zulu Lounge at this year’s Chicago Air and Water Show—officially my favorite weekend of summer; is anyone else already shivering over these practice flybys?—I didn’t get it... Posted at 12:58 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (0)
	08/11/11 Me and You and Everyone We Know: South Loop’s The Scout Is Crowded Already If you ever dined at Jerry Kleiner’s South Loop restaurant Opera, the building’s new occupant, The Scout Waterhouse + Kitchen, is bound to give you a serious jolt of culture shock. The interior of The Scout, which is in soft-opening mode now in advance of its grand opening on August 19, is done in a style I’d call post-Kleiner: nary an inch of velvet, an ounce of wrought iron, or a dash of primary color anywhere in sight... Posted at 02:16 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (2)
	08/04/11 Parking It at The Garage, the Far Northwest Side’s Undiscovered New Biker (Kinda) Bar Much to my mother’s chagrin, I am a sometime passenger on the back of The Creative Director’s motorcycle, so I was heartened last night to find a row of hogs parked outside my destination: The Garage, a brand new bar in the Gladstone/Jefferson Park area, just a few blocks south of Superdawg. “These are my people,” I thought, having barely recovered from a numb posterior brought on by last weekend’s cruise to summer camp in Elkhorn, Wisconsin... Posted at 03:33 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (1)
	07/28/11 Sneak Peek: Paddy O’Fegan’s, Coming Soonish to the West Loop; Plus, The Abbey Pub on TV As of two weeks ago, Patrick Fegan was predicting an August 1 opening for his in-the-works West Loop pub, Paddy O’Fegan’s (not actually named after himself; read the legend here). But when I stopped by yesterday afternoon to check in on the bar’s progress, the general manager Cathy McDonagh delivered an all-too-familiar update... Posted at 03:07 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (0)
	07/21/11 Be Your Own Brewmaster: Brew Camp Opens Today in North Center Attention, beer geeks: You now have yet another reason to head north. Just a few blocks from Half Acre Beer Co. and not so far from Metropolitan Brewing, the friends and business partners Jared Saunders and Whit Nelson are opening Brew Camp, their temple to homebrewing tucked into a cozy North Center storefront, today... Posted at 04:08 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (0)
	07/20/11 Tasty Freeze: Beat the Heat with Icy Drinks My friend Joan, recently back from a vacation in Cuba, messaged me on Facebook last week: “Amalie—serious work-related question. Where can I find a good frozen daiquiri in Chicago? We had so many good ones on our trip, but it seems every place here tells me they don’t have a blender!” The first thing that came to mind... Posted at 01:28 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (0)
	07/15/11 Pitchfork Deals, Specials, and Afterparties: Music Isn’t the Only Thing That Wristband Gets You. Shots, Anyone? I swear I saw rock stars at Cirque du Soleil last night. There they were, slouching around under the big top in their faded black skinny jeans, cool bed-head haircuts, and rumpled vests over V-neck tees. As we sipped $8.50 Bud Lights during intermission, I jabbed The Creative Director in the shoulder and pointed: “Look! I bet they’re here for Pitchfork... Posted at 12:21 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (0)
	07/14/11 Low-Cal Cocktails and Big Ideas at Hoyt’s, in Hotel 71—the Real Star of ‘Transformers’ Cutting calories and carbs has been my mission in June and July, but that’s no easy feat when you write about bars for a living—and also when every summer weekend devolves into a giddy, three-day festival of beer and encased meats... Posted at 10:49 AM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (0)
	07/08/11 New, Fresher, Later: Telegraph Opens Tonight, The Empty Bottle Spiffs Up, and Rooftops Get an Extra Hour Need a little direction this non-holiday weekend? Go west, my friends. Telegraph, the Logan Square wine bar from the team behind The Bluebird and Webster’s Wine Bar, opens to the public at 5 p.m. today... Posted at 12:01 PM in The Chaser \| Permalink \| Comments (0)